Environmental Science and Design Research Institute

Division of Research & Economic Development
Research ship in the Arctic

One of Kent State University’s newest faculty members in the Department of Geology has already made her mark with the recent publication of her and her colleagues’ work to better understand the effects of global warming as it relates to the arctic ocean. Allyson Tessin, assistant professor, specializes in biochemistry, oceanography and sedimentary geology. She is currently studying the relationship between the chemistry of the ocean and climate change.

Asiatic Bittersweet, photo credit to Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Three faculty members in Kent State University's Department of Biological Sciences recently co-authored a 384-page hardcover book, “Problem Plants of Ohio,” published by the Kent State University Press.

Scott Sheridan, Yuko Kurahashi and Angela Neal-Barnett are the 2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Winners

Kent State University has announced the recipients of the 2020 Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSA). Sponsored by the University Research Council and the Division of Research and Sponsored Programs, this award honors Kent State’s exceptional researchers and scholars.

Division of Research & Economic Development
A scientist looking through a microscope

Since March, COVID-19 has become a widespread topic of conversation. Finding ways to explain what this virus is, how one can treat it and how to slow the spread of the virus are just a few commonly asked questions with few clear answers. Xiaozhen Mou, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, and her research team recently received funding for their hard work as part of Ohio’s statewide collective effort to discover traces of COVID-19 virus particles in wastewater.

Division of Research & Economic Development
Women bored on her phone looking out the window.

It would not be surprising if you have a social media app open right now; however, you may not be getting the enjoyment out of it that you think you are. In a recent publication in Computers in Human Behavior, two Kent State professors examined the relationship between social media usage and boredom. Students may be surprised by the results and parents might be excited by them.

Division of Research & Economic Development
Looking at the clouds of a hurricane from above

Climate change can now be measured on a global scale using multiple weather variables, according to new research published by Cameron C. Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Geography at Kent State.

Dave Costello, Ph.D., (left), associate professor in Kent State University’s Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Devan Mathie (right), an undergraduate honors student, stand in Wahoo Ditch in Ravenna, Ohio.

Kent State’s David Costello is passionate about identifying what trace metals lie within Northeast Ohio’s streams and what the effects of these metals are on the surrounding environment. Costello, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, received a $718,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to study these important trace metals. The grant is awarded as part of the National Science Foundation’s Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program.

Environmental Science and Design Research Institute

What was even more of a departure than taking classes remotely? Many summer research experiences were moved online this year as well. Fortunately, with creativity and an open mind, there are lots of opportunities to do important scientific research using online tools and data.

Old Woman Creek: one of the wetlands that is part of H2Ohio Initiative Wetland Monitoring Program. Researchers will assess how effective wetland restoration, construction, and management projects are at removing polluting nutrients from inflowing water.

Lauren Kinsman-Costello, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences, will serve as the H2Ohio Wetland Monitoring Program Lead for Lake Erie and Aquatic Research Network (LEARN). The group will assess the effectiveness and future role of implemented and planned wetland restoration projects in partnership with the Ohio Division of Natural Resources (ODNR). This project is part of Governor Mike DeWine’s H2Ohio Initiative, a comprehensive, data-driven approach to improving Ohio’s water quality.